Life in Beta

(Fair warning, mushy Valentine’s Day post ahead … avert your eyes if such things make you squeamish! — Ha.)

Mike gave me this adorable strip of photo booth pictures after a trip to the mall the other day: my silly boys, my funny Valentines. Life was never so good till they became a part of it. We laugh, we cry, and we pick Play-Doh out of the carpet together.

And I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

I’ve learned so much about love and relationships in the past year:

Love is work but should never be a chore.

Don’t force things; when you find the right person, it will come naturally. Suddenly all the work that goes into “making it work” becomes a pleasure and you’ll find happiness in seeing your loved-one happy.

A relationship is a partnership and a family is a team. Members share the joys and the hardships.

Love isn’t about flowers, chocolates or jewelry. It’s not about date-nights or exotic vacations. Money and luxury are irrelevant. True love requires nothing more than the hearts of two people and God. It’s the moments we share that are the real treasure in life: sparkling laughter is the diamonds, hugs and kisses the rubies, and heart-warming memories the gold.

A child will make you exhausted, worried sick, and endlessly frustrated … and they will also make your heart grow bigger than you ever believed possible.

The right partner will lift you up and challenge you to be the best YOU that you can be. (With an occasional kick-in-the-pants being fair game, so long as it’s warranted and followed up by a big hug!)

Happy Valentine’s Day, Hunnybear. Happy Valentine’s Day, Little Man … thank you for teaching me so much and making my life complete.

What life lessons have your loved-ones taught you?

This post really doesn’t need words, except to say: these two complete me.

Goofballs.

Lucy and Desi’s last kiss as husband and wife
(via heckyeahlucydesi.tumblr.com)…

March 3, 1960 we were filming an hour show with Ernie Kovacs and his wife, Edie Adams. In the episode, Lucy tries to get Ricky on Ernie’s TV show. To disguise myself, I wore a chauffeur’s uniform with a cap and mustache. In the final scene, Desi was supposed to pull me into an embrace, mustache and all, and kiss me.

When the scene arrived and the cameras closed in for that final embrace, we just looked at each other, and then Desi kissed me, and we both cried. It marked the end of so many things.

- Lucille Ball

* * *

This was not just an ordinary kiss for a scene in a show. It was a kiss that would wrap up twenty years of love and friendship, triumphs and failures, ecstacy and sex, jealousy and regrets, heartbreaks and laughter…and tears. The only thing we were not able to hide was the tears.

After the kiss we just stood there looking at each other and licking the salt.

Then Lucy said, “You’re supposed to say ‘cut’.”

“I know. Cut, goddamn it!”

I Love Lucy was never just a title.

- Desi Arnaz

Though this is far from being a typical love song, for me the lyrics convey an ultimate expression of love between soulmates. It’s one of my favorite songs, and has such a special meaning in my heart.

The song was made famous by Death Cab for Cutie, but this particular cover is the best I’ve heard and I prefer it to the original. The video makes me cry…

What’s your favorite song, and what special meaning does it hold for you?